Cheap Eats?

The words 'recession' and 'economic downturn' have become so common these days that you can't even open a newspaper without seeing them. And with newscasters continuously reporting decreased spending over the 2008 holiday season it appears that Canadians have really been scaling back. And yet, I read in the Globe & Mail today that Canadian restaurant & bar sales actually went up in the month of November by 1.2 per cent to $4.1 billion....What does this mean, we think its more important for a meal out than to buy Cousin Billy the Hot Wheels he really wanted for Christmas?

I think this is a really interesting statistic and I think it really gets at the value we have on dining out and the pleasure we get from it. So you might not take a Winter Escape to Mexico this year, but you wouldn't cancel your weekly lunch date with a girlfriend. Or you might not buy a new flat screen TV, but you wouldn't miss Superbowl Sunday at the bar with a pint & some wings! Or maybe its the feeling of security in a time of financial crisis from that comfort foods like macaroni & cheese that you can only get at the local bistro. Whatever it is...I think its important and it gets at the value of enjoying life through food even when times are uncertain.

Will the trend have remained the same for December or January? We'll have to wait for Health Canada on that one. But if it does take a turn for the worse and restaurant dining takes a hit, maybe we will look to our friends overseas for answers. Some UK hotel restaurants have offered 'free' food to help beat the recession. Recognizing that offering free food helped restaurant owners during the recession in the 80's some restaurants are starting to make attempts to hold onto their shirts in this financial crisis! And its not a bad concept...allowing customers to dine based on a menu with no pricing and then pay what they can for a meal!

Whatever happens in the months to come we at least know that meals out are not something Canadians want to give up, and if it gets 'so bad' that we have to, we can look at what's being done elsewhere to preserve the experience we love so much!